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LDDER STEP Filed July 23, 1951 United States Patent O LADDER STEP Harriett M. Woodburn, Rockford, Ill.

Application July 23, 1951, Serial No. 238,156

This invention relates to steps for ladders and more particularly to a collapsible and detachable step which may be attached to a rung ladder at any elevation and when attached at the desired location, the step may be swung to operative position so that a person using the ladder may stand at ease especially when he will operate from that position for a relatively long time.

An object of this invention is to provide a detachable step for rung ladders, which is strong in construe tion so that a person standing on this step has ample freedom of movement without fear of tipping or bending the step.

A further object is the provision of a detachable step which is light in weight so that a person climbing the ladder may easily carry it with him until the desired elevation is reached when it can be easily mounted for use, or if more convenient, the step may be lifted by a chain a rung or two at a time until the desired elevation is reached.

A still further object is the provision of a detachable step for a rung ladder which is economical to make at a low cost and which provides the maximum of safety in use, especially in the protection against unintentional tipping of the tread membertwhen in use.

Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and drawings thereof in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the step;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the step applied to a rung ladder;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the step applied to a ladder;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of an enlarged detail showing the pivotal mounting for the step, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the step applied to a ladder, but showing the step folded.

To stand on a rung of a ladder for any period of time is very tiring and whether the ball of the foot, or the arch of the foot rests upon the rung of the ladder, the leg muscles soon become cramped or quivery and necessitate the shifting of the weight from one position to another.

This causes a distraction from what is being done and often requires a longer time fighting the fatigue than would occur if the job could be performed in a relaxed Siate.

This invention allows a person performing an operation such as painting, electrical work or any of the many other operations which have to be performed from ladders, to be relaxed even though he may be relatively high above the floor or ground.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, there is shown a ladder having the usual rungs 11 therein. In use this ladder is allowed to lean against a wall or other supporting object at the proper angle for stability and the person desiring to use the ladder climbs it to the desired elevation. He carries his paints or kit of tools as the case may be, and he can also carry the step disclosed herein. Being light in weight it may be 2,709,626 Patented May 31, 1955 ICC easily handled, or for freedom in the use of the hands, he may prefer to move the step up a few rungs at a time. When the desiredl height is reached, the hooked ends 12 of the side members 13 are hooked over one of the rungs 11, and the depending sides of the members 13 are allowed to rest against the next lower rung 11 so that the step is securely supported.

The side members are formed of flat stock and are given a one quarter twist at 14 so that the flat face of the stock permits easy bending for the hooks 12, and flat areas engage the rung 11, while below the twisted areas, the dat faces are in a plane common to the greatest bending moments when the step is loaded. This allows one edge of each side member to engage the next lower rung.

A cross member 16 is spot welded to the side members 13 at 17 above the twisted areas to provide a more rigid structure and a brace 18 has its end extensions 19 spot welded to the inner faces of the side members 13 at 20. This provides a double thickness of metal in each side member for greater rigidity in each side member from the brace 18 to the end of each of these side members. Each side member 13 is bent at 21 to present an outward extension 22.

Each side member has a hole 23 drilled in it in the bend 21 to receive a cross tubing 24 which is held in place by washers 26 and cotter pins 27. A step 28 is pivotally mounted upon this cross tubing 24.

A length of light angle iron is notched and bent to form a rectangular frame 29 having its ends and notched edges welded to form a rigid structure. A piece of expanded metal 30 is spot `welded inside the frame to form a tread area. Brackets 31, formed of flat stock are spot welded inside the end members of the frame f 29 and these brackets are bent and twisted to form straps 32 `which hold the step 28 pivotally on the tube 24, and ears 33 which are twisted from the straps 32 to the ears 34 which are welded in place in the frame 29.

The end members of the frame 29 are also provided with brackets 36 which are bent at right angles to provide ears for spot welding to the inside faces of the angle iron ends at 37, and the ears 33 which rest upon the extensions 22 of the side members 13 and 19.

After the step 28 has been placed upon the tube 24 and the washers 26 and cotter pins 27 have been assembled, the side members 13 are tied together in spaced relation foi greater strength to resist lateral bending of these side members.

The step 28 is swung to horizontal position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the extensions will engage and support the ears 38 on the step. As the step extends beyond the fulcrum in both directions, a brace 39 has a flat section du overlying the tread area of the step adjacent its forward edge and has the ends 41 bent perpendicularly and at a rearward angle to the liat surface 40, and has these ends 41 spot welded in place to the inside faces of the side members 19 of the brace 1S. This flat area 40 comprises a portion of the tread area so that a person standing on the step distributes part of his weight upon the area 40, and cannot apply his weight to the forward edge of the step to cause the step 28 to tilt forwardly.

To facilitate raising or lowering the step as one ascends or descends the ladder, a chain 42 is attached to the cross member 16 and a hook 43 is attached to its free end. This allows a person to ascend the ladder with his necessary equipment and maintain a degree of freedom to hold onto the rungs of the ladder with one hand as he advances the step upwardly a rung or two at a time.

While l have described one embodiment of the structure in which the parts are mostly formed from sheet 3 metal it will be obvious that the parts may be formed by other means, as by casting or other conventional fabricating methods, depending upon the cast and the availability of materials.

In use, the step may be raised to a desired elevation with the step folded as shown in Fig. 5, using the hook 43 and chain 42 as a medium for dragging the step up the ladder, or by suspending the step beside the ladder. The hook may be raised a rung or so and hooked to the rung as a person ascends the ladder so that he may not have his hands too occupied for safety, At the desired elevation the hooks 12 are engaged with one of the rungs of the ladder and the edges of the sides 13 are allowed to rest against the next lower rung 11. The step is swung to horizontal position and the user steps upon the tread area from the rung below or from the rung above as the case may be. The imposed weight on the step causes it to grip the supporting rung 11 firmly Vand the step and its frame provides a sturdy, comfortable standing area. The rung 11 upon which the frame is hung is free for use and may be stepped on if it is desired to change the location of the step with respect to the ladder, or to lower it.

I claim:

l. A detachable step for rung ladders comprising spaced side members having hooks on one end thereof for engaging the rung of a ladder, lateral extensions on the other ends of said side members extending trans' versely from one side thereof, a step pivotally mounted between said side members and having portions thereof extending on opposite sides of the pivot axis thereof, brackets on one of said portions of said step engageable with the top of said lateral extensions when said step is in its extended position, and a cross piece secured to said side members and having a flat portion overlying the other of said portions of the Step closely adjacent the upper surface thereof in the extended position of the step with its major plane extending parallel with the upper surface of the step.

2. A detachable step construction for rung ladders comprising a support framework having means at its upper end for engaging a rung of a ladder to suspend the support framework therefrom, said support framework having a downwardly extending portion depending from said rung engaging means adapted to have one side thereof engage a lower rung on the ladder, said support framework including a rigid portion on the lower end of said depending portion extending transversely from the other side of said depending portion, a flat step pivotally mounted on the lower end of said depending portion for movement about an axis intermediate the side edges of the step, means on said step laterally offset from one Side of the pivot axis thereof for engaging the top of said rigid portion, and means secured to said downwardly extending portion for engaging the top of said step on the other side of the pivot axis thereof.

3. A detachable step for rung ladders comprising a support framework including spaced side members of light flat stock having hooks formed on the upper ends thereof, said side members having the major portions thereof disposed with the flat sides in spaced parallel relation, a first cross member having the ends thereof bent in parallelismwith said side members and having said ends secured to said side members to reinforce the latter, a second cross member extending through said side members and said ends of said first cross member, a step pivotally mounted on said second cross member between said side members, said side members at their lower ends being bent transversely to provide exten sions constructed and arranged to extend outwardly from one side of said support framework, and ears on said step spaced from the pivotal mounting thereof engaging the tops of said extensions to support the step in an extended position,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 257,463 Boyd May 9, 1882 1,118,385 Timmerman Nov. 24, 1914 1,216,214 Connell Feb. 13, 1917 2,191,643 Deckard Feb. 27, 1940 2,407,541 Ehnborn Sept. 10, 1946 2,432,206 Mott Dec. 9, 1947 2,554,120 Pisano May 22, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,486 Switzerland Mar. 19, 1928 132,835 Switzerland 'May 15, 1929 

